Herts Moth Group News and Information
Old Lady roost
Jim Terry has sent this picture of part of a roost of 21 Old Lady moths in his shed at Borehamwood
Stigmella filipendulae on 26th July.
Therfield Heath - mines on Dropwort found by John Chainey. Regarded as extinct in the county in "Moths of Hertfordshire".
Mallow Moth Pexicopia malvella 25th July
Marshalls Heath, 25th July 2011 , John Murray. Nationally Scarce species - very rare in Herts but perhaps overlooked?
Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles galii 18th July
Baldock, 18th July 2011 , Terry Brown. Uncommon immigrant.
Metalampra italica on 17th July
Marshalls Heath, recorded by John Murray.
Teleiodes sequax on 10th July
Ten or more flying around rock rose, western end of Church Hill, Therfield Heath, late afternoon 10th July 2011 , John Chainey. A very rare moth in Herts, regarded as Endangered because of continuing habitat loss. This is only the second record - the other was at Hexton Chalk Pit, 31st May 2000, by Raymond Uffen. Colin Plant suggested it should be looked for so it is pleasing that John has found it. The few remaining chalk downland areas of the county are very much under-worked for moths.
Aethes tesserana 10th July
western end of Church Hill, Therfield Heath, late afternoon 10th July 2011 , John Chainey. Local and probably rare in Herts.
Small Marbled Eublemma parva 10th July
Braughing- another one here , the second on 10th July 2011 , Ben Sale.
Coronet Craniophora ligustri 1st, 5th and 8th July
5th July 2011, Long Marston , Alan Bernard. Also Maple Lodge, Herts 1st July 2010, and Harefield , Middx 8th July 2010 , Simon Buckingham. Simon points out that this moth is a regular at a site in Buckinghamshire only 8 miles away , he recorded 96 there last year, including 63 on 2nd July.
Obscure Wainscot Mythimna obsoleta 30th June
At Rye Meads, 30th June 2011 by Joan Childs.
Anaplectoides prasina 1st July
At the Natural History Museum Garden, South Kensington, Middlesex 1 July 2011 seen by Martin Honey. The only other Middlesex record of this species was made at Parliament Hill, 11 July 1996 (Ray Softly).
Scoparia basistrigalis at Bloodhounds Wood, Bishops Stortford,
several hundred at 6 lights abandoned from 22.00 to 05.00 hours, 27th June 2011 (Colin Plant); Bayfordbury, 2nd July 2011 (this newsletter). Both records reinforce known very local distribution given in the book, but Bloodhounds Wood numbers are exceptional. Large numbers of both sexes were dissected for confirmation.
Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula 27th June
In the Hemel Hempstead area, a worn example seen by David Kirk
Coronet Craniophora ligustri 27th and 30th June
Berkhamsted, 27th June 2011 (Ian Gamble) and Maple Lodge Nature Reserve, 30th June 2011 (Simon Buckingham) Second and third modern county records.
Small Marbled Eublemma parva 27th June
at Braughing, 27th June 2011.(Ben Sale). Second county record.
Kent Black Arches at at Bloodhounds Wood, 27th June and Totteridge Fields 2nd July
Caught by Colin Plant at Bloodhounds Wood, Bishops Stortford and at a public event by Alan Reynolds and Andrew Wood. These are the fourth and fifth records for Herts following one in Totteridge in 1954 and two at Rothamsted in 2009 and 2010.The Totteridge specimen is illustrated.
Green Arches Anaplectoides prasina 25th June
Harefield, Middlesex, , Simon Buckingham.
Coleophora binderella
A single case and associated mines in leaves of Hazel, Bricket Wood Common, 20th June 2011 (Raymond Uffen). This is a normal foodplant for this species, but this is the first time it is recorded in Herts – previous reports relate to birch leaves.
Dotted Fan-foot (Macrochilo cribrumalis)
Braughing, 15th June (Ben Sale) – nowhere near appropriate habitat; Bishops Stortford, in a garden next to Birchanger Wood, mid June (Tom Lewis)also in the wrong habitat. Both records indicate the way that some wetland moths often move around and turn up in the “wrong” places. Waterford Heath 26th June (Andrew Wood/Alan Reynolds), a dry site but 200m from the River Beane. Hatfield, 27th June 2011 (Stephen Waters). Nowhere near suitable habitat.
Triple-spotted Clay (Xestia ditrapezium)
Braughing (in the north-east of Hertfordshire), 20th June 2011 (Ben Sale) - quite unexpected in this part of our area.
Rannoch Looper (Itame brunneata)
Bricketwood, 12th June 2011 (Henry Ellis).
Beautiful Snout (Hypena crassalis)
Bricketwood, 12th June 2011 (Henry Ellis).
Glyphipterix forsterella new for Herts 28 May
Found by Raymond Uffen at Bricket Wood Common, 28th May 2011, along a 'ride' created when a pipeline was buried, at approximately TL 130012. The herbaceous vegetation in the middle of the ride is quite unlike that in the clearings because of the alkaline boulder clay brought to the surface by disturbance.
Adela croesella new for Herts 25 May
Two specimens of this day flyer were caught seperately on May 25th, a female at Bramfield found sitting on an ox-eye daisy by Andrew Wood and a male at Braughing by Ben Sale. This suggests that this species may well be elsewhere in the county and as an attractive day flyer it should be quite easy to find, most likely near wild privet its larval foodplant. Nemophora degeerella is a confusion species but Adela croesella is smaller with wingspan of 11-14mm against 16-23mm, the male has shorter antennae than degeerella and in both sexes the golden wing stripe has a less pinched outline
Light Feathered Rustic in Herts 6 and 20 May 2011
Another LIGHT FEATHERED RUSTIC (AGROTIS CINEREA)(see a photo of the species here on UK moths) has turned up in Hertfordshire – this time a freshly emerged male at Berkhamsted on 20th May, in a light trap operated by Ian Gamble. Ian retained the specimen which is now in my collection and forms an important voucher for this species in the county.
This record comes hot on the heels of the earlier reported example caught by Alan Bernard at Long Marston on 6th May and supplements some recently received records from the Tring area by Gavin Broad on 2nd May, 24th May and 10th June in 2010. From all this, it now seems almost certain that this species is resident in the extreme west of the county in spite of me declaring it extinct in “The Moths of Hertfordshire” on the basis that there had been no reports since 1992, and none suggesting residency since about 1938.
This is a moth of chalk downland where the caterpillar feeds on Wild Thyme. This last capture was a mere 4 days ago and the moth was freshly emerged – so it must still be flying. if anyone is able to get out onto any of Hertfordshire’s chalk downland habitat please do so as a matter of priority and be the one who proves we have a resident population. Obviously we need to look in the west in the areas of Berkhamsted and especially Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve near Tring (could it be that all the recent habitat improvement there has allowed the moth to return – it would be great if we could prove that). However, please don’t neglect other potentially suitable areas such as Hexton Chalk Pit and Church Hill/Therfield Heath near Royston. The excellent “Flora of Hertfordshire” written by Trevor James shows two species of wild thyme well-distributed in almost all the chalk grassland habitat along the border of Herts with Buck, Beds and Cambs.
Brown-tail moth in Herts 20 May 2011
It is clear that we currently have an outbreak of Brown-tail Moth in Hertford town. Most records are on the east side of town. So far there are no reports from other areas and so the outbreak is isolated - which begs the question "how did it arise".
Please keep a look out for caterpillars on bushes NOW (see photo of a larval tent). I need you to report ALL sightings in Herts STRAIGHT AWAY so the outbreak can be monitored (not Middlesex - these can wait to year end as it is a common moth in Middx).
Great Prominent 15 May 2011
Alan Reynolds caught and photographed this rarely found species in his Hertford garden.
NEW FIELD EVENTS ADDED 10 May 2011
Psychoides filicivora- NEW FOR HERTS 6 May 2011
John Murray reports - "2 days ago I noticed two 10mm black micros flying around each other in the sunshine by the water butt.
They had a distinctive white mark on the rear edge of the forewing, and the head and legs were whitish.
I went inside to get a tube to examine them in but when I returned the sun had gone in and they had disappeared.
This afternoon I saw one again perched on the water butt, and this time it was still there when I returned with a tube....
it's Psychoides filicivora, which is a new Hertfordshire species. I don't think there's much doubt, as the water butt is surrounded by ferns,
especially Hartstongue, on which it feeds."
A picture of this dayflier is here on the UKMoths wesite
Dewick's Plusia 27 April 2011
Liz Goodyear obbtained and photographed the second Hertfordshire record (and our first spring record) of the migrant Dewick's Plusia at Ware on 27th April.
Scarce Tisssue 13 April 2011
This large geometer has a patchy distribution in Hertfordshire. This one was photgraphed by Andrew Wood in Hertford on 13 April 2011
Pammene giganteana 31st March 2011
There are very few records for this early flying tortrix in Hertfordshire. This one was photgraphed by Roger Prue in Hemel Hempstead on 31st March 2011
2011 Annual Meeting
First of all, a big thank you to everyone who came to the annual meeting yesterday and helped make it the success that I believe it was. By the end of the day, nearly 70 people had turned up. Our guest speaker, Mark Parsons, the Moth Conservation Officer at Butterfly Conservation, gave us a very useful and informative talk about the moth-related aspects of the work undertaken by BC, which is based in Dorset. For almost an hour, Mark gave us an overview the many projects that BC undertakes, or in which it either plays a lead role or for which it provides financial support, in a relaxed and informal style that was perfectly suited to a sunny Saturday afternoon. Read More Here
Acleris literana Ware 1st April 2011
This attractive but rarely seen tortrix came to Liz Goodyear's garden trap on 1st April in Ware. There are only 14 records in the county database and all of the ones in the last 5 years have been from the far west of the Hertfordshire
Oak Processionary Moth - a Middlesex Species
This notifiable species has spread from Kew Gardens into the Middlesex London Boroughs of Ealing, Brent, Hounslow and Richmond in recent years. This species should not be handled at any life stage. The Forestry Commission has, this year, changed from an eradication to a containment policy so it is more likely that there may be a spread of this species further northwards. The articles here may be of interest:
Horticulture Week: Battle-tactics---combatting-oak-processionary-moth
Forest reaearch - Oak Processionary Moth
London Tree Officer's Organisation guidance
Dotted Chestnut in 2011
Colin Plant's book contains 9 records for this species from 1998 - 2006, since then it has expanded its range and this spring we have already had several records. It has been recorded in Hertford on 21 March (Alan Reynolds), Bayfordbury on 24 March, just outside Hertford (Shaun Dowman)and Walkern on 23 March (John Pearson).
Photo by Alan Reynolds
Orange and Light Orange Underwing
These two small day flying moths are now active in woodland in Hertfordshire. The Orange Underwing is associated with birch and the Light Orange Underwing with aspen. They are often difficult to separate as they either fly high on sunny days or come down to "mud puddle" where their basically brown appearance disguises them well against wet mud until they are disturbed when they fly away rapidly frequently not settling. On 24th March Alan Reynolds was able to capture a series of images showing the probably less common Light Orange Underwing. In this case the identification is based on features used in the "Geometrid Moths of Europe" by Axel Hausmann, principally the dark unchequered hindwing fringe. Comments on this id are welcomed!
